Donor Stories

At Cal Poly Humboldt, education is a catalyst for change—transforming lives, empowering communities, and fostering opportunities. Embodying this belief, the University introduced the Humboldt First Scholarship five years ago to financially support local students and encourage them to pursue higher education while staying closer to home and connected to their families and communities.

What will your legacy be? There are two primary ways to impact future generations of students at Cal Poly Humboldt: legacy gifts and endowments.

At Cal Poly Humboldt, every gift—whether large or small—has the power to transform a student's life.

Carl “Chip” (‘78, Natural Resources) and Kareen Moriarty-Kalvin (‘99, Liberal Studies, ‘09, M.A. Education) are dedicated to protecting the environment from the impact of climate change. In gratitude

Cal Poly Humboldt’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign has surpassed its goal of at least $50 million, with thousands of people giving at record levels to support dramatic growth in student scholarships and campus programs. The campaign goal was reached more than a year early.

The Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation partnered with the Ceramics Area of the Department of Art + Film’s Ceramics Club of Cal Poly Humboldt to create and produce over 400 Cal Poly Humboldt-inspired ceramic mugs as a unique gift for the University’s most generous recent donors.

When Dr. Kathleen Welsh asked her father, Emeritus Professor of Zoology James F. Welsh, how else she could support Cal Poly Humboldt, he told her to consider the students' hands-on learning

Rangeland Resource and Wildland Soils Professor Emeritus Susan Edinger Marshall established the Steven E. Slusser Memorial Endowment with a $25,000 gift.

If you mentioned a business idea to entrepreneur and businessman Jim Yates, he would’ve immediately provided you with a detailed plan on how to turn that idea into a reality. To memorialize Jim and help Cal Poly Humboldt students interested in entrepreneurship with tuition costs, Jim’s daughter Jaime Lancaster (‘03, Business Administration), now a faculty member in the School of Business, created the Jim Yates Business Endowed Fund with a gift of $37,500.

Thomas (‘77, Zoology) and his wife, Sara Ferguson, were able to get their higher education degrees when it was much less expensive to attend college and benefited from scholarships and grants. To

Editor's note: This story was updated on Nov. 3, 2023. As a Cal Poly Humboldt student studying theater and film, David Phillips (‘69, Theatre Arts), along with his late friend Don McKenzie (‘69,

Del Skeesick (‘61, Fisheries Biology, ‘63 M.S. Fisheries Biology) began working with fish at the Minnesota Labor Department of Fisheries in 1954. As part of the Brothertown Tribe at Fond du Lac, fish is integral to his life and culture.

“Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.” This saying is known to everyone who’s hit the mat and wrestled at one point or time. For Virgil Moorehead (‘83, Education), Craig Vejvoda (‘80, Business Administration), and Dan Phillips (‘91, Business and Computer Information Systems), who were members of the Humboldt wrestling community, it’s true.

Over the last year, thousands of donors stepped up to support Cal Poly Humboldt students, giving $12.5 million to advance academic excellence, expand educational access, and foster innovative research and programs.

Through the proceeds of a real estate transaction, real estate agent Joyce West and her friend Pamela Kelley created the Pamela J. Kelley and Joyce M. West Scholarship Endowment for scholarships to Cal Poly Humboldt basketball players.

Kenneth Sanchez (‘84, Wildlife) loves saving habitats. He has been helping protect and restore habitats in the United States for over 30 years, and now with a bequest pledge made to Cal Poly Humboldt’s Lowell Diller Wildlife Memorial Scholarship Endowment, he will one day be able to help other Humboldt Wildlife students who are just as passionate about habitat restoration.

Thanks to a generous gift of $30,000 to the Matt Johnson Wildlife Trust fund from Zach Zachowski and Barbara Gabel, who own a vineyard in Napa Valley, the Cal Poly Humboldt Barn Owl Research Team has a new truck to conduct their research.

Many laughs, smiles, and gratitude filled the campus Great Hall during the Cal Poly Humboldt Scholarship Reception on May 4. The event gave student scholarship recipients a chance to meet and connect with donors who sponsored their scholarships and believed in them.

Brad Smith’s (‘71, Wildlife Management) favorite part about being a Wildlife major at Cal Poly Humboldt was the hands-on learning experience. He remembers heading to the redwood forest behind campus.

Cal Poly Humboldt’s inaugural Giving Day was an astonishing success as the Humboldt community came together and raised $140,638 in one day! Among the day’s numerous highlights, donors contributed to

The 24-hour campaign on Wednesday, April 5 will bring together students, alumni, parents, friends, and the campus community to raise funds for students and campus programs.

Eden (‘09, Nursing) and Michelle Donahue are giving back to the Humboldt community and to thank the nurses who have shaped their lives.

Rick Gardner (‘65, Psychology) remembers the day he was accepted into Cal Poly Humboldt. “I opened the mailbox and saw the letter from Humboldt. When I opened it, I went running to my parents to show

Cal Poly Humboldt legacy donors gathered Thursday, March 2 at Baywood Golf & Country Club for the inaugural 1913 Legacy Society luncheon, a celebration of those who have designated Humboldt in

For more than four decades, Robert Gearheart has been dedicated to understanding wetland systems and sharing his wisdom and passion with others. He’s reached hundreds of students over the years.